Brigadier General Stephen R. Smith became the Commanding General of the 364th Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC) on April 23, 2022.
Headquartered in Marysville, Washington, the 364th ESC is a subordinate command of the 79th Theater Sustainment Command located in Los Alamitos, California. The 364th ESC includes two Regional Support Groups and one Sustainment Brigade that comprise a total of 40 units and spans 6 states and two time zones in the northwestern portion of the United States. There are approximately 4,000 Soldiers in the command. Prior to becoming the 364th’s Commanding General, BG Smith was the 79th TSC’s Assistant Chief of Staff, G3.
BG Smith was born in Roberta, Georgia and enlisted in the Army Reserves in 1984 attaining the rank of Sergeant and subsequently received his ROTC commission at University of Georgia as Quartermaster officer in the Army Reserve in 1990 graduating in 1991 with a B.S. in Geography.
As a logistics officer, he has served in multiple command positions from company to brigade level that include the 365th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion in Afghanistan and the 643rd Regional Support Group. He has served in numerous staff positions from battalion through COCOM level. He has transitioned from the 79th Theater Support Command’s Chief of Staff with prior service as the 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command’s Chief of Staff and, during their mobilization to Fort Hood, Texas, as their Assistant Chief of Staff, G3.
AS part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, BG Smith served as a Mobilization Officer on the Combined Forces Land Component Command staff’s Army Reserve Affairs section. During Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, he served as the Deputy Chief of Operations, G3 in the 143rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command. The 143rd was the Joint Logistics Command as the first general officer logistics command for distribution and sustainment operations throughout Afghanistan as well as led a Forward Logistics Element attached to and supporting special operations forces in Regional Capitol-South. Subsequently, he served as the Battalion Commander of the 365th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion responsible for multi-nodal operations for the full spectrum of sustainment operations throughout Afghanistan’s Regional Capital-West supporting joint and collation forces as well as training transportation elements of Afghanistan’s Armed Forces.
His military education includes the Primary Leadership Development Course, the Quartermaster Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Multi-functional Combat Service Support Course, the Combined Arms Services and Staff School, as well as the Command and General Staff College, the Army War College where he received a Masters of Strategic Studies, and the National Defense University’s Joint Combined Warfare School-Hybrid receiving his additional skill identifier as a Joint Planner. His award and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization-International Security and Assistance Force Medal, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Army Superior Unit Award, two Meritorious Unit Citations, and the Combat Action Badge. For honorary organizational awards, BG Smith has attained the Distinguished Order of Saint Martin, the Noble Patron of Armor, the Order of the Golden Spur, and recognized as a Demonstrated Master Logistician.
BG Smith is married to his wife Lucy since 1990 and resides in Macon, GA where he retired in 2016 after twenty years as a Claims Liability Adjuster for GEICO. They have two daughters - Anna and Susan.